Prayer

Starter activity: Ask the students if they have participated in any adventure sports or activities (bungee
jumping, scuba diving, marathon, sky diving, paragliding, trekking). Ask them what preparation they
had to do before being a part of these activities and how much in advance they had to prepare. On the
day of the main activity, were there any precautions they had to take prior to it?
Tie it up to the topic (prayer) and how prayer becomes the very preparation for the
decisions/circumstances of life.

Development: Prayer: WHAT - WHY – HOW

I. WHAT?
Prayer is communication with God. We do this by praising Him, confessing our sin before Him,
thanking Him and asking Him for our needs and desires. Prayer is communion with our Creator. When
we pray, we engage in loving fellowship with the Maker of heaven and earth.
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II. WHY?
Why we pray is important, as is prayer itself:
1. God’s Word Calls Us to Pray: One key reason to pray is because God has commanded us to pray. If
we are to be obedient to His will, then prayer must be part of our life in Him. Where does the Bible call
us to prayer? Several passages are relevant:

• “Pray for those who persecute you” -Matthew 5:44

• “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” -Romans 12:12
• “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” -Ephesians 6:18
• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6

2. Jesus Prayed Regularly: Why did Jesus pray? One reason he prayed was as an example so that we
could learn from him.

1. Early stages of ministry - Mark 1:35

2. Before making the selection of the twelve disciples - Luke 6:12
3. After feeding the 5,000 – Matthew 14:23
4. Before His crucifixion - Luke 22:39-41

3. Prayer is How We Communicate with God: Prayer allows us to worship and praise our Lord. It also
allows us to offer confession of our sins, which should lead to our genuine repentance. Moreover,
prayer grants us the opportunity to present our requests to God. All of these aspects of prayer involve
communication with our Creator. He is personal, cares for us, and wants to commune with us through
prayer. Isaiah wrote, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even
youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will
renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).

4. Prayer allows us to Participate in God’s Works: Does God need our help? No. He is all powerful and
in control of everything in His creation. Why do we need to pray? Because prayer is the means God has
ordained for some things to happen. Prayer, for instance, helps others know the love of Jesus. Prayer
can clear human obstacles out of the way in order for God to work. It is not that God can’t work
without our prayers, but that He has established prayer as part of His plan for accomplishing His will in
this world. He wants you to be involved in the process of every plan He has for you.

5. Prayer gives us Power Over Evil: Can physical strength help us overcome obstacles and challenges in
the spiritual realm? No, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). But in prayer even the physically weak can become strong in the
spiritual realm. As such, we can call upon God to grant us power over evil. “Watch and pray so that you
will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

6. Prayer Keeps us Humble Before God: Humility is a virtue God desires in us. Prayer reminds us that
we are not in control, but God is, thus keeping us from pride. “Therefore, whoever humbles himself
like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 18:4

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III. HOW?

How can we pray: through the following 4 ways:

1. Personal Prayer
2. Family Prayer
3. Community Prayer
1. PERSONAL PRAYER: Matthew 6:6 “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and
pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you”
While relationships can start in a public environment, they require privacy to develop and
become intimate. What is true for humans is also true for God, When we are alone with God, we can
drop all the masks that we very often put on when we are with the world, and just be our true self.
There are many ways in which we can do this. One of the easy and practical way of helping us build a
strong personal prayer life as well as developing a deeper relationship with God is as follows:
1. Praise
3. Thanksgiving
4. Repentance
5. Forgiveness
6. Surrender
8. Worship
9. Intercession
10. The Word of God
11. Silence

2. Family Prayer: “The family that prays together stays together. No relationship can be truly
meaningful without God being pivotal in it, and to ensure this, families need to approach him together
as one unit.
Jesus said: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” - Matthew
18:20. Given the busy schedules most people have these days it is not always possible for all members
of a family to be together at the same time except, perhaps, for meals, so it is a good idea to spend
some time in prayer before you commence the meal. When even this is not possible, family members
can pray together whenever they happen to be with each other, even if every member is not present.
We can spend a lot of time in prayer in a variety of ways, including saying the powerful Rosary.

3. Community prayer: The Eucharist becomes the highest form of communal prayer. Because being
one with God id the most intimate, most powerful, most complete communication of love between us
and the Triune God. As the apostles prayed together with Mary and their friends in the upper room of
the house in which they lived. Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared
among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Key: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Group discussion:
Discuss the challenges to prayer. What steps can be taken to overcome them?

Homework:
Imagine you are explaining importance of prayer to your friend. How will you convince him/her to start
praying?